Tufted and embossed fabric and method of manufacture



Oct. 15, 1957 E. MORGAN ET AL 2,809,659

TUFTED AND EMBOSSED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Sept. 15,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f1 g=1 1o Eowm MOQGAN and THEODORE C. SIPPEL -1 8?mm}? m ATTORNEYS INVENTORSI Oct. 15, 195? MORGAN ETAL 2,809,669

TUFTED AND EMBOSSED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Sept. 15.1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Enwa N M ORGAN ana Tmzovoaz C. 5 m 2 INVENTORSgain: PM

ATTORNEYS United States Patent filiee 2,309,559 Patented Got. 15, 1957TUFTED AND EMBOSSED FABRIC AND METHQD OF MANUFACTURE Edwin Morgan andTheodore C. Sippel, Laurinburg,

N. C., assignors to Scotland Mills, Incorporated, Laurinburg, N. C., acorporation of North Carolina Application September 13, 1954, Serial No.455,508

9 Claims. (Cl. 139-37) This invention relates to woven tufted fabrics,such as chenille and the like and it is an object of this invention toprovide a base or ground fabric woven from relatively fine yarns andhaving rows of spaced tufts thereon formed from relatively large orheavy embossing yarns or tuft-forming yarns and wherein certain adjacenttufts in at least some rows are spaced substantially from each other ascompared to others and sections of the relatively heavy yarn used informing the tufts are interwoven with the base fabric to formbraided-eifect areas, in the form of recurrent closely spaced uncutembossed dots, between said certain adjacent tufts.

Heretofore, in producing chenille and similar fabrics, either weftwiseor warpwise extending rows of closely spaced tufs have been formed froma relatively heavy yarn as compared to the yarn employed in weaving theground or base and, in order that ornamental designs could be formedfrom certain groups of tufts in adjacent rows, it has been customary tofloat the tuft-forming yarns over substantial portions of the fabric andthen cut away the excess floated portions, leaving only enough of saidfloated portions tied into the base fabric to form those tufts which arespaced substantially from each other.

In producing the improved fabric, ground fabric is woven, preferablyfrom relatively fine or light warp and weft yarns, and sections ofrelatively heavy embossing yarns, preferably soft, loosely twistedyarns, are interwoven with a relatively few yarns of the ground fabricat relatively closely spaced points to define relatively short floatstherebetween. yarns are interwoven successively above and below theground fabric at closely spaced points to form said other sections ofthe embossing yarns into dots which dots, individually, are each arelatively small fraction of the length of the floats above defined.

In forming each row of floats, it is preferable that two or more suchloosely twisted yarns be woven in closely spaced parallel relationshipor in juxtaposition and, after the fabric is woven, the floats aresevered intermediate their ends and the portions of the floats disposedon opposite sides of each of the points at which they are tied into thefabric form a tuft during the subsequent finishing or washing andtumbling operations. Thus, rows of tufts are formed on the ground fabricwherein certain adjacent tufts in each or any number of the rows arespaced substantially from each other and a dotted rib or braidedeifectarea of considerable length is formed between said certain adjacenttufts. Also, since each tuft is normally formedfrom a half of thefloated portion each side of each point at which the floats are tiedinto fabric, it follows that the tufts appearing at each end of thebraidedefiect areas are approximately one-half the size of theimmediately adjacent tufts which are formed from half of the floats ateach side of the points at which the floats are tied into the 'base. a

For purposes of clarity, the fabric shall hereinafter be described asthough the embossing or tuft-forming yarns,

Other sections of the embossing from which the design rows ofbraided-effect areas and tufts are formed, extend warpwise while theground yarns employed in tying or binding the embossing yarns into thefabric shall be defined as though extending Weftwise of the fabric.However, it is to be distinctly understood that the embossing yarns maybe Woven either warpwise or weftwise of the fabric and it is apparentthat, when the embossing yarns extend weftwise of the fabric, they wouldthen be tied into the base fabric by warpwise extending ground yarns.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswil appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of -a portion ofthe improved fabric as it is woven, but after the floats thereof havebeen cut;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged view of substantially the broken linearea indicated at 2 in Figure 1 prior to the float being severed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the fabric taken substantiallyalong the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view of a portion of fabric woven accord ing to thepresent invention showing one of many different types of braided-effectdesign areas formed in conjunction with tufted areas and showing thefabric as it appears after it has been finished or washed.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral ltl broadlydesignates a suitably woven base or ground fabric area which ispreferably, but not necessarily, woven from relatively fine warp yarnsand weft or filling yarns made from any desired synthetic or naturaltextile material, the warp yarns, in this instance, being generallydesignated at W and the ground filling yarns being generally designatedat F. The ground warp yarns W and ground filling yarns F may beinterwoven in any usual way so as to produce a plain weave, twill,sateen or any other desirable base or ground fabric. A detaileddescription of the base fabric 10 is thus deemed unnecessary. It mightbe stated, however, that the open areas or lines formed in the basefabric in Figures 1 and 2 are incidental to the weaving of the fabric,these lines having been formed, in the particular fabric illustrated, bythe reed dents of the loom, but not being a necessary characteristic ofthe base fabric and, therefore, being omitted from Figure 4.

In initially weaving the fabric, groups of one or more relatively largetuft-forming yarns or embossing yarns are interwoven for substantialsections of their lengths with the base fabric 10 and other sections oftheir length are tied into the base fabric at substantially equallyspaced intervals to form floats between adjacent tie-in points. In thisinstance, the tuft-forming yarns extend warpwise of the fabric and eachof these tuft-forming yarns may be of a single ply or multi-plyconstruction. If multi-ply yarns are used, the plies thereof arepreferably loosely twisted together. The tuft-forming yarns arepreferably, but not necessarily, made from a soft, fluffy textilematerial as compared as to the texture of the material forming theground warp yarns W and the ground weft yarns or filling yarns F.

Throughout the specification and the appending claims, the termbraidedeffect is used to identify areas of the fabric in which portionsof one or more embossing yarns are interwoven or interlaced insubstantially equal alternation above and beneath the base fabric in theform of short closely spaced dots or floats, each having a length equalto or only slightly greater than the transverse dimensions of theindividual yarns. There should be at least two successive dots formedfrom a yarn or yarns in each braided-effect area and the overall lengthof each braided-effect area should be substantially the same 3 t as theadjacent portions of the embossing yarn forming a tuft or substantiallythe same as the center-to-center distance between adjacent pairs 'oftufts. In the instance of there being two or more parallel embossingyarns in a braided-effect area, the dots in adjacent rows are'preferablystaggered as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In this instance, the groups of tuft-forming yarns, effect yarns orembossing yarns which form each warpwise row of intermingled tuft andbraid-effect areas, are

indicated in each repeat at R-l, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-S. In thisinstance, there are three embossing yarns 11, 12 and 13 included in eachgroup although a single embossing yarn or a greater or lesser number ofembossing yarns than that shown may be included in each group R-1 to'R5, inclusive.

Now, it will be noted that sections of each of certain designrows'd'efined' by the embossing yarns 11, 12 and '13, such as rows R2,R-t-3, R-4 and R-S in Figures 1 and'4 are formed as braided-effect areasor sections, whichyfor convenience, are bracketed and indicated at 14 inFigure 4 only, and wherein each of the embossing yarns 11, 12 and 13 isalternately woven above and beneath successive groups of approximatelyfour ground weft yarns F in such a manner that the portions of each ofthe body yarns which appear on the face of the fabric are disposed inoff-set relation to the portions of the next adjacent embossing yarn.

In other words, it will be noted in Figure 1 that those filler yarns orweft yarns'which extend over the two outside embossing yarns 11 and 13in each of the rows R2 to R-S, inclusive, pass beneath the correspondingportions of the centermost embossing yarn 12 in each of saidlast-named'groups to produce a braided appearance to the areas 14,although the embossing yarns 11, 12 and 13 are not, in fact, braided atthe braided-effect areas 14. Of course, at the terminal end of each ofsaid braidedeifect areas 14, the corresponding filling yarns or weftyarns F serve as binder threads so the terminal portions of the yarns11, 12and 13 forming each braided-effect area 14 all' appear on the faceof the fabric. The portions of the ground weft yarns or-filling yarns Fwhich serve as bmder threads at opposed ends of each braided efrect area14 are indicated at 15 in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

I Those sections of the embossing yarns 11, 12 and 13 in each of thegroups R-2 to R-S, inclusive, which are 7 not formed into braided-effectareas 14 are tied or woven into the base fabric 10 at spaced intervals,as indicated 'at*16, and are floated over the surface of the base fabricindicated at 16, since the design rows R-l differ from the interveningdesign rows only in that no braided-effect areas are provided in thedesign rows R,1.

, Although adjacent design rows R-l to R5, inclusive,

preferable that adjacent design rows be spaced a distance substantiallyequal to the distance between the adjacent warpwise spaced wovenintervals 16, which woven inter'vals may be termed tuft tie-in orbinderpoints. The

7 length of the spaced intervals 16 in'which ,the-tuft-forming orembossing yarns tor threads 11, 12 and 13 are woven into the fabric mayvarytand the lengthof, the

floating sections 17 of each group of embossing yarns may vary inaccordance with the'desired design, although it is preferable that thelength of the floating sections 17 and the spaced intervals '16tbeuniform inthose sections of the design rows other than "thebraided-effect areas,

in order that all of the tufts subsequently formed, other thanthoseappearing at opposite ends of each braided effect area 14, may beof uniform height or length. I

' s a The fabric thus woven is particularly designed to be V yarns beinginterwoven with the filler yarns.

severed by a suitable mechanical tuft cutting device wherein the cuttingdevice moves weftwise upon the ground fabric in straighttlines andsevers the floats 17 intermediate their respective points of'securement15 and 16. It will be noted that, since the embossing yarns 11, 12 and13 are interwoven with the ground filler yarns F in the braided-effectareas 14, a tuft cutting device will 'readily pass over thebraided-effect areas 14 without severing the embossing yarns 11, 12 and13 at these points. e

The fabric illustrated is thus initially woven with a plurality ofseparate substantially spaced groups of closely spaced embossing yarns,substantial sections of each of which groups are alternately woven intothe body of the fabric and floated overthe surface thereof with othersections of certain of said separate groups of embossing The sections ofthe individual embossing yarns in said separate groups or design rowswhich are interwoven for a sub stantial portion of their lengths withthe ground filler yarns alternately appear on the face of the fabric inoffset relation to the immediately adjacent embossing yarn in order toproduce the braided-effect appearance to the fabric in the areas 14.After the fabric has been thus woven, the floating sections 17 of thegroups of tuft-forming yarns appearing in individual design rows R'1 toR-S, inclusive, are severed substantially midway between adjacent tie-inor binder points 16 and are also severed between adjacent binder points15 and 16 so that a half-tuft portion is formed of adjacent floats eachside of each of the float tie-in or binder points 16, said half-tuftsbeing indicated at 20 in Figure 1. It is to be noted that, when thefabric is washed and tumbled, dyed, subjected to steam, or otherwisetreated, and dried sufliciently to shrink the fabric, the half-tufts 20tend to stand outwardly away from the ground fabric 10 and bunchtogether to form full-tufts which are indicated at 20a in Figure 4. 7

Now, it will be noted that only a half-tuft or halffloat portion 22 isformed as a result of severing the floats 17 at each end of each of thebraided-effect areas 14 so that, when the fabric is subsequently washedand 7 14 in Figure 4. t

may be spaced varying distances from each other, it is in t It isapparent that any one or more of the portions of V the embossing yarnsappearing in any one or more of the braided-effect areas 14 may befloated and secured to r the base fabric10 at spaced intervals while theother embossing yarn or yarns in the corresponding braidedeffect areamay be interlaced with the base fabric in the i form of embossed dots sothat, when the resultant floats are severed intermediate their points ofsecurement, spaced relatively small tufts are formed within thebraided-effect areas. For example, the two outside yarns 11 and 13 inany one or more of the' areas 14 maybe interwoven with the ground fabricas shown in Figures 1 and 4 and the intervening embossing yarn 12recurrently floated and secured to the base fabric at spaced intervals.Thus, asthe'other floats are severed in the manner heretoforedescribedgthe floatedportions of the intervening embossing yarn betweenthe corresponding braided-effect portions of the outside yarns 11 and 13would also be' severed between their points of securement and, when theresultant fabric hasbeen subjected to steam or any other form of liquidtreatment, sufficient to shrink the fabric, and then dried, one or morerelatively small tufts would be present between the braided-effect orinterwoven portions of the two outside embossing yarns 11 and 12 inaddition to the spaced tufts 20a and 22 (Figure 4) present in thecorresponding row. s

The arrangement of spaced relatively small tufts along beside orstraddled by braided-effect lines in sections of a design row or rows incombination with the large tufts in other sections of the correspondingrow or rows may be further enhanced by application of the principles ofthe invention disclosed in our co-pending application Serial Number455,716, filed September 13, 1954 and entitled Fabric WithVariant-Height Tufts and Method.

It is thus seen that we have provided an improved tufted fabriccomprising a base or ground fabric, preferably woven from relativelyfine or small filling and warp yarns and having spaced rows ofsubstantially equally spaced tufts of substantially uniform sizetherein, in some of which rows, braided-effect areas are interposed atpredetermined intervals and said braided-effect areas being formed fromthe embossing yarns employed in forming the tufts and wherein the tuftsat opposite ends of each of said braided-effect areas are substantiallysmaller than the intervening tufts between adjacent braided-effectareas. It should be noted that all the yarn employed in initiallyweaving the fabric remains as part of the fabric to the extent that nofiller threads or weft threads need be removed from the fabric after ithas been woven and the floats thereof severed, although there may besubstantial distances between certain of adjacent pairs of tufts, sincethe sections of the embossing yarns intervening between adjacentsubstantially spaced tufts are interwoven in the fabric to producebraided-effect areas which greatly enhance the appearance of thefinished fabric.

It is apparent, by referring to Figure 4, that the rows of tufts may beconsidered as extending weftwise and warpwise of the fabric and theinterspersed embossed braided-efiect areas extending in alinement withthe rows of tufts in either a warpwise or weftwise direction and thelengths of adjacent braided-effect areas may vary according to anydesired pattern, the particular pattern of Figure 4 being shown by Wayof illustration only.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

We claim:

1. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base of interwoven weft yarnsand warp yarns, a plurality of design roWs on said base, each of saiddesign rows including a plurality of spaced tufts, certain of saiddesign rows having adjacent tufts spaced substantially further apartfrom each other than others of said tufts in the same rows, all of saidtufts being spaced apart a distance at least equal to the height ofadjacent tufts, and an embossed braided-eflect area formed between onlythose tufts which are spaced from each other a greater distance thansaid others of said tufts.

2. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base fabric of interwoven weftyarns and warp yarns, relatively large embossing yarns forming aplurality of spaced parallel design rows on said base fabric, each ofsaid design rows including a plurality of spaced tufts, sections ofcertain of said design rows each having an elongated embossedbraided-effect area formed between adjacent tufts which are spaced fromeach other a substantially greater distance than others of said tufts,all of said tufts in each row being spaced from each other a distancegreater than the height of the tufts, and said braidedetfect areasincluding at least two embossing yarns woven above and below said basefabric in alternation.

3. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base fabric of interwovenrelatively small filling yarns and warp yarns, separate groups ofrelatively large warp yarns, first sections of the large warp yarns ofeach group being interwoven with the base fabric for substantialdistances at first spaced intervals, second sections of the large warpyarns of each group being interwoven with the base fabric at secondspaced intervals sufliciently only to tie the yarns of each group to thebase fabric at said second spaced intervals, said second spacedintervals each embracing at least twelve of said filling yarns tothereby form floats on the surface of the base fabric between saidsecond spaced intervals and to thereby form braided-effect areas at saidfirst sections whereby the floats may subsequently be severed at theirmedial portions to form tufts therefrom.

4. The method of making a tufted woven bedspread fabric which comprisesinitially weaving the fabric with separate groups of relatively largeparallel yarns having first relatively closely spaced sections of eachgroup floating on the surface of the fabric suflicient amounts to enablethe subsequent formation of tufts from the floating sections and theportions of the yarns between the floating sections woven into thefabric sufficient only to tie the floats to the fabric, weaving secondsections of each group of yarns between said first spaced sections toform braided-elfect areas in each group, severing the yarns of eachfloating section substantially midway of each floating section to formfree-end portions at opposite ends of each second section and at eachside of the portions of the yarns woven into the fabric in said firstspaced sections, which free-end portions then constitute tufts.

5. A Woven bedspread fabric comprising a base of interwoven Weft yarnsand warp yarns, a plurality of design rows on said base, each of saiddesign rows including a plurality of spaced relatively large tufts,certain of said design rows having adjacent tufts spaced substantiallyfurther apart from each of other than others of said tufts, an embossedbraided-effect area formed between those tufts which are spaced fromeach other a greater distance than said others of said tufts, at leastone relatively small tuft disposed immediately adjacent at least one ofsaid braided-effect areas and disposed in the same design row as saidlast-mentioned braidedeffect area, and all of said tufts being spacedfrom each other a distance at least as great as the height of said largetufts.

6. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base of interwoven relativelysmall weft yarns and Warp yarns, a plurality of spaced substantiallyparallel design rows on said base, each design row comprising a group ofrelatively large closely adjacent parallel elfect yarns, at least asection of each group being formed into a plurality of spaced relativelylarge tufts, said large tufts being spaced from each other a greaterdistance than the height of the large tufts, at least one other sectionof at least one of said groups having at least one of its efifect yarnsinterwoven with said base to form a row of recurrent closely spaced dotsdefining an effect area extending between certain adjacent pairs of saidrelatively large tufts, and at least one other of the effect yarns insaid other section being formed into at least one relatively small tuftdisposed beside said row of dots.

7. The method of making a tufted woven bedspread fabric which comprisesinitially weaving the fabric with separate groups of substantiallyparallel effect yarns having first sections of each group floating onthe surface of the fabric suflicient amounts to enable the subsequentformation of tufts from the floating sections and the portions of theyarns between the floating sections woven into the fabric sufficientlyonly to tie the floating sections to the fabric, weaving second sectionsof at least some of said groups of yarns between adjacent spaced firstsections, and severing the yarns of each floating section substantiallymidway of each floating section to form freeend portions at oppositeends of each second section and at each side of the portions of theyarns woven into the fabric in said first sections, which free-endportions then constitute tufts.

8. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base of interwoven base weftyarns and base; warp yarns; a plu: rality of design areas on said baseeach'including a; plur'ality of spaced tufts formed from a plurality ofrelatively large embossing yarns, a pluralityof-the embossing yarnsforming adjacent tufts being interwoven with said base between saidadjacent tufts, and the latter embossing yarns-successively extendingover a plurality 'of consecutive base yarns and under a plurality ofconsecutive base yarns to form embossed areas on the base between saidadjacent tufts.

9. A woven bedspread fabric comprising a base of interwoven relativelysmall base weft yarns and base warp yarns, a plurality of design areason said base each in: cluding a plurality of spaced tufts formed from aplurality of relatively large embossing yarns, a plurality of relativelylarge embossing yarns interwoven with said base between some adjacenttufts, and the latter. embossing yarns successively extending over aplurality of con ames secutive base yarns and under a plurality'ofconsecutive base yarns to form en'rbpssed areas said adjacent tufts. I

References Cited in the file of-this' patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS onthe base between

